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A wintry blast of heavy rain, wind and snow across the eastern United States disrupted
Thanksgiving travel plans yesterday for some of the millions of Americans hitting the roads and
taking to the skies on the busiest holiday travel day of the year.

While the travel delays were not as bad as many had feared, meteorologists warned that falling
temperatures could create icy road conditions for those who put off travel until last night.

The wintry weather caused about 300 flight cancellations and prompted delays at major airports
along the East Coast, including in Boston and New York, according to the
FlightAware.com tracking site.

Tim O’Heir, an audio professional working on a Broadway show in New York, said his flight home
to Dallas from LaGuardia Airport was delayed by two hours.

“As long as it gets me there, I don’t care,” he said. “I’m just worried because I got a $60
turkey in the fridge. And my wife can’t boil water.”

Kenneth McIntyre said he had a hassle-free flight from Minneapolis to the Philadelphia
International Airport.

“It was so smooth, I didn’t know there was anyone else traveling,” said McIntyre, who planned to
spend the holiday with relatives.

Travel conditions were expected to worsen later yesterday, with precipitation and rapidly
falling temperatures resulting in slick roads, according to AccuWeather.com meteorologist Bill
Deger.

The National Weather Service said western Pennsylvania, western New York and Vermont could get
more than a foot of snow before skies cleared today.

Flood watches were in effect for portions of the Northeast.

About 43 million Americans expected to make trips this weekend, travel group AAA said.

Eight states along the I-40 corridor connecting North Carolina and California bolstered their
patrol yesterday, with state troopers posted every 20 miles in an effort to prevent traffic
fatalities, said Col. Tracy Trott of the Tennessee Highway Patrol.

About 37 percent of travelers were leaving yesterday, making it the year’s busiest single day of
holiday travel, AAA said.